Author Topic: Big Garden Birdwatch  (Read 25444 times)

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #50 on: 31 January, 2021, 11:01:43 am »
2 robins.
2 more than last year then.
The birds round here don't like being counted.
There's no vibrations, but wait.

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
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Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #51 on: 31 January, 2021, 11:18:29 am »
2 robins.
2 more than last year then.
The birds round here don't like being counted.

Well we have much greater biodiversity round here. I saw a robin and a blackbird. 5 minutes before I’d got sorted there were  various tits, sparrows and a pigeon.

Snakehips

  • Twixt London and leafy Surrey
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #52 on: 31 January, 2021, 12:13:18 pm »
I did this yesterday with some strange results. The almost ever present Great Tit and flock of Parakeets stayed away so I couldn't count them, though they were back in fine vocal form first thing this morning. In their place we had six Long Tailed Tits, a rarity, and a male Great Spotted Woodpecker, only seen once before in about 25 years.
I hope somebody does something useful with this information.
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #53 on: 31 January, 2021, 01:14:15 pm »
2 robins.
2 more than last year then.
The birds round here don't like being counted.

Well we have much greater biodiversity round here. I saw a robin and a blackbird. 5 minutes before I’d got sorted there were  various tits, sparrows and a pigeon.
We've got plenty here normally. Just not on Birdwatch day.  :(
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #54 on: 01 February, 2021, 08:42:42 am »
6 Jackdaws
4 Wood pigeons
4 Collard doves
7 House sparrows
2 Tree sparrows
1 Dunnock
4 Blue tits
1 Great tit
1 Greenfinch
2 Goldfinches
2 Chaffinches
2 Robins
4 Blackbirds
1 Thrush

A higher number of jackdaws than usual (normal only two) but a much lower number of sparrows, I have counted 17 on the feeders at once before.
Usually there are several dunnocks skulking around as well but in the hour we watched non until one turned up at the last minute.
I expected more goldfinches and chaffinches as well but they were being shy.

Non of the less common visitors showed up today. The cock pheasant who comes about twice a week was elsewhere as were the long tailed tits, coal tits, greater spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, wrens and sparrow hawk. Mind you if the sparrow hawk had shown up there wouldn't have been much else to count as everything else hid.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #55 on: 01 February, 2021, 09:40:47 pm »
Hmm - we never see as many birds as usual when it is BGB time.
I'm developing a theory that the publicity build up in the couple of weeks beforehand causes more folks to put out food in more gardens. Certainly the village school always does. As the village is more sheltered than our garden, I suspect the birds spend more time hanging around there than usual.  And they come back to us when the easier food runs out because other gardeners don't maintain the supply.

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #56 on: 03 February, 2021, 09:13:47 am »
You may have a point. In the space of 5 minutes in the rain this morning I saw:
2 Robins
2 Blue tits
1 Blackbird
6 Long tailed tits
2 Dunnocks
1 House sparrow

It's also pretty unusual for there to be no magpies or wood pigeons about. Had a heron strutting about on the grass a couple of weeks ago - that's fairly unusual.

<edit> Update. Magpies are back.
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
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    • the Igloo
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #57 on: 03 February, 2021, 10:35:13 am »
Yes, we usually get great tits, collared doves, crows, great spotted woodpeckers and jackdaws which were missing from my list. There have been fieldfares and redwings lurking about too.

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #58 on: 03 February, 2021, 02:13:56 pm »
And today the Black Grouse turn up. I swear they know when its BGB

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #59 on: 03 February, 2021, 07:28:30 pm »
Bit of a washout here. No birds turned up - well, one pigeon I think, but that ignored the food we'd put out and ate berries off the ivy instead. Every now and then we find a neighbouring place that seems to have a whole flock, but in general bird activity seems quite low.

Given that our food is not selling, my wife is suggesting offering them discount vouchers.

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
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    • the Igloo
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #60 on: 28 January, 2022, 12:00:41 am »
The 2022 version starts tomorrow: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

I expect very depleted counts here at the new Igloo. Not many birds have found our feeders yet  :(

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

  • Miles eaten don't satisfy hunger
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Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #61 on: 29 January, 2022, 09:32:54 am »
CET Towers reports

4 x Wood Pigeon
1 x Collared Dove
3 x Magpie

All the tits and sparrows head to next door's birdfeeder.  We don't have smaller ground feeding birds because the neighbour has c&ts.  We are getting less birds this year because the Norway Maple had its once in 5 years visit from the tree surgeons before Christmas and the Daphne Odora that grew next to the waterfall where the bird drink died and so there is less cover.

We haven't seen collared doves for years, but they have been around again this winter.
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #62 on: 29 January, 2022, 02:06:12 pm »
Storm Malik means our birds are slulking. Will try tomorrow

Clare

  • Is in NZ
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #63 on: 29 January, 2022, 03:33:13 pm »
2 collared doves
2 wood pigeons
2 blackbirds
1 robin
1 magpie
1 starling
1 dunnock
4 spadgers


Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #64 on: 30 January, 2022, 11:25:17 am »
Had to look up spadgers.

4 spadgers
1 robin
1 blackbird
1 blue tit
9 starlings (could have been 10 - there was a confusion of pecking and flapping and general raucousness)

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #65 on: 30 January, 2022, 11:32:30 am »
2022 scores. Better than I expected

Blue tit1
Blackbird2
Robin2
House sparrow2
Magpie1
Feral pigeon6
Wood pigeon2
Chaffinch2
Greenfinch1
Jackdaw2

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #66 on: 30 January, 2022, 04:16:16 pm »
Better than last year.
(click to show/hide)
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #67 on: 30 January, 2022, 09:04:47 pm »
I was going to have a go at this this morning, but after looking out of the window I realised that I wouldn't be able to tolerate it. It's a south-facing patio door whose double-glazing has "blown" and it's very smeary. The sun was shining brightly on it, making it very difficult to see through, and the south end of the garden was in deep shadow where the garage blocked the sun. So I abandoned the attempt and had a wander round the park instead.
Quote from: Dez
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Mrs Pingu

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Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #68 on: 30 January, 2022, 09:57:48 pm »
Why not sit in the shadowy end of the garden?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #69 on: 31 January, 2022, 07:56:19 am »
Not bad. No idea where the rest of our blackbirds went, usually there are six upwards. The woodpecker was a no show as every year and the starlings obviously were having a party somewhere else as only two showed up rather than the usual large gang.

Dunnock               2
Robin                    2
Blackbird              2
Long Tailed Tit      2
Great Tit               1
Coal Tit                 1
Blue Tit                5
Sparrow               11
Wood Pigeon       3
Collard Dove         2
Goldfinch              5
Chaffinch              2
Jackdaw               4
Starling                 2
Pheasant              1
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #70 on: 31 January, 2022, 08:07:03 am »
Starting the clear up between Storms Malik and Corrie meant I just haven't had an hour to spare.
Still lots to do after Arwen....

Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #71 on: 31 January, 2022, 08:49:52 am »
I'm surprised by the number of goldfinch being reported here, but that's only because I have only seen one at our feeders over the past couple of years (and my birdy colleague hasn't ever seen one in his garden), so possibly a UK distribution thing. On the other hand, I'm also surprised that no nuthatches have been reported - not just this year but since the start of the thread.

eta: just checking last year's results and goldfinches were at #7 in England and #10 in Wales and Scotland.

eta#2: I've just found the more detailed breakdown from last year here https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/results/ and have answered my own question. There's a link to a spreadsheet which shows these as the top-most UK counties (by percentage of gardens) where nuthatches were reported:

Powys
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Scottish Borders
Caerphilly
Neath Port Talbot
Gwynedd
Dumfries and Galloway
Torfaen
Monmouthshire
Denbighshire
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff
Merthyr Tydfil

eta#3 (sorry): And for goldfinches, my county - Neath Port Talbot - is 6th from bottom of the 112 counties. I'm supposed to be working, but I can see that's going to be difficult now I've found that spreadsheet.


Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #72 on: 31 January, 2022, 09:10:07 am »
We (on the Yorkshire Wolds) get nuthatches (or at least one it may be the same one every time) but they are occasional visitors. Couple of times a month I manage to spot one.
We have wrens too but they are shy little things and I don't always see them. Sometimes they nest over winter in the garden shed which in winter is infrequently visited.
One of out neighbours gets bullfinches but I haven't seen one in our garden since we stopped growing teasels years ago even though I have started putting out a sunflower seed feeder.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #73 on: 31 January, 2022, 11:41:15 am »
We see goldfinches quite a lot but like every other feathered beast (apart from our faithful pair of robins) they all fuck off when it's the BGBW.
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Big Garden Birdwatch
« Reply #74 on: 31 January, 2022, 06:10:04 pm »
Why not sit in the shadowy end of the garden?

Because I don't want to sit in the cold shadow of the garage on a January day with the expectation of seeing the square root of fuckall, tbh. I'd sooner walk to the park and watch birds. Which I did.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.